Universal joint.



A.- HOHMANN UNIVERSAL JOINT. APPLICATION FILED ($12.24; 1913.

Patented Jan. 5', 1915.

which M series i tit nnorrn HOHMANN, or cLEvELAnnor-uo, Ass'renoa or ONE-THIRD T0 CHARLES c.

ISHER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, AND ONE-THIRD TO HENRY ZELINSKI, OF WEST PARK, OHIO.

i Application filed April 24, 1913.

To all w/wmit may concern" c it known that l, ADoLPH HOHMANN, a'subject'to the Emperor of Germany, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Universal Joints, of Which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

his invention relates to improvements in universal joints, such as are commonly used between the sections of the driving shafts of automobiles; and it has for of no lost motion between the parts thereof and thereby insures noiseless operation at any angle and the elimination of the disagreeable and injurious pounding is present in prevailing types of universal joints with which I am familiar; which is very strong; Which provides for effective lubrication, and which permits of easy assembling and disassembling for the purpose of inspection or repair.

Further objects will become apparent as this description proceeds, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein Figure l is aside elevation of in improved universal joint applied to the adiacent ends of a divided shaft; Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof as viewed from the left 3 is a central longitudinal looking in the direction of the arrows.

, wherein simllar refextending from one side thereof which is provided With a central tapered bore for the reception of the tapered end 8 of the shaft section 4, being employed to lock the parts against independent rotation. Anut-(i Which is threaded upon the reduced inner end of the shaft section 4 holds the parts firmly to- Specification of Letters Patent.

surface of th .vlded with an opening 9, diametrically opposite points UNIVERSAL JOINT.

Patented Jan. a, rats, Serial No. 763,255.

being formed in the inner e casing member for the accommodation of the nut. The casing is completed by a member 8 which is also substantially semi-spherical in shape and is proopgether a recess 7 positethe extension 2 of th 1. The adjacent edges of the casing n'1emwith llanges'l and 8, respectively, and screws 10, which pass freely through the flanges 8 and are threaded into the flange 1, securely hold the casing members-together. At diametrically the flanges 1 and 8 are ento provide bosses 11 which are interfor the reception of the screws 12. The IIIHBF'SIIIfZICGS of the heads are provided With annular grooves having their outer Walls tapered to correspon'dto and coiiperate with the frustoconical outer ends of the bosses 11 and tend, when the screws are in position, to assist in securing the casing inner ends of the screws 12 are reduced to form bearings for the antifriction rollers 13.

Contained wi thin the casing iust described which will be referred to hereinafter as the outer member of the universal joint and is designated generallv bv the reference lette'r A in the drawingsl is the B which is formed by the segment of a spherical block. the, bases whereof are euuallv spaced from the center. tapered bore extends through the member and has its longitud nal aXis at right angles to the planes of truncation. and the flat side of the member B adiacent the smaller end of the aforesaid bore is recessed at 15 for the accommodation of-a nut 16 Which is threaded upon the reduced end of the-shaft section 17 to effectivelv hold'the tapered portion 18 thereof in the bore of the member B. the shaft width of sald grooves being only enough e casing member A centraland the member B be ng locked against independent rotagreater" than-.-;the diameter of the rollers 13 to peimit ofi the-required clearanceand the sides of said grooves being parallel.

'QIt1 will be seen from the foregoing description 'that I have provided a universal connection between shaft sections which involves the principle of a ball-and-socket her and which operate in grooves in the the casing, I. provide a cap inner member, said grooves are only enough wider than the it being remembered that diameter of the rollers to provide the required clearance and that the sides thereof are parallel. In such a construction the possibility of rattle is reduced to a minimum, and is entirely eliminated when a proper lubricant is introduced into the joint,

as through the opening 21 in the casing A, adapted to be closed by the plug 22.

To cover the opening 9 in the casing member 8 (which must necessarily be of sufficient size to permit of the extreme movechants of the shaft section 17 in all directions) and toretain the lubricant Within spherical outer face of the same radius as the interior of the casing and which is provided with a central hub 24*, slidably mounted upon the shaft section 17. interposed betweenthe adjacent flat face of the member B and the end of the hub 24 .is a spiral spring 25 which acts topress the cap 23 tightly against the inner surface of the cas ing member 8 and effectively close the opening 9 at all times.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is: i

1. A universal joint comprising a hollow,

substantially spherical outer member having a hollow cylindrical extension projecting from one side thereof which is adapted to receive the end of a shaft section and having in its opposite wall an opening which is concentric with said shaft section, said outer member being divided transversely on a plane substantially coincident with the center thereof. the adjacent edges of the parts having cooperating flanges which are en larged at diametrically opposite points to form bosses having outer frusto conical ends and which are threaded internally, screws within said bosses which are provided with heads having grooves which embrace the outer ends of the bosses and having reduced inner ends, rollers journalcd thereon, a spherical segment within the casing having a central bore extending therethrough at .right angles. to its the end of a second shaft-section and having a pair of circumferential grooves which are in alinement with the second shaft section and which have parallel sides, the aforesaid 23 which has a bases for the reception of -'cover the opening, and a spring interposed between the cap and the adjacent base of the segment.

2. A universal joint comprising a hollow, substantially spherical outer member, said outer member being divided transversely on a plane substantially coincident with the center thereof, the adjacent edges of the parts having cooperating flanges which are enlarged at diametrically opposite points to form bosses having outer frusto conical ends and which are threaded internally, screws within said bosses which are provided with heads having frusto-conical grooves which receive the frusto-conical outer ends of the bosses and having reduced inner ends, rollers journaled on said ends, and a spherical segment within the casing having a-central second shaft section and having a pan: of circumferential grooves which are in alinement with the second shaft section and which have parallel sides, the aforesaid rollers occupying and said grooves.

3. A universal joint comprising an outer member that is adapted to be secured to the end of a shaft section and having a spherical chamber, said member being divided transversely on a plane substantially coineident with the center of said-chamber, the adjacent edges of the parts having cooperating flanges, the flange of one of the parts having a series of screw holes and the flange of the other part having a series of threaded apertures which are arranged to aline with the aforesaid holes, screws which pass freely through the holes and are threaded within said apertures, the flanges being enlarged at diametrically opposite points to form bosses having outer frus'to-conical ends and which are threaded internally. screws within said bosses which are provided with heads having grooves which embrace the outer ends of the bosses, said screws having extensions, and a spherical segment within the casing that is adapted to be secured to the end of a second shaft section and having a pair of circumwith the second shaft section and into which the extensions of the aforesaid screws are arranged to project.

4. A universal joint comprising an outer member that is adapted to be secured to the end of a shaft section and having a sphericalchamber, said member being divided transversely on a plane substantially coincident with the center of said chamber, the adjacent edges of the parts having coopbeing adapted to traverse.

crating flanges which are enlarged at diametrically opposite points to form bosses having outer frusto-conical ends and Which are threaded internally, screws within said.

bosses which are provided with heads having grooves which embrace the outer ends otthe bosses, said screws having-extensions, and a spherical segment Within the caslng that is adapted to besecured'tothe end of a to second shaft section andhziv ng apair of circumferential grooves which are in alinement Withthe second shaft section and into which the extensions of the aforesaid screws are arranged to project.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my 15 I signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

. ADOLPH HOHMAN N. Witnesses:

ROBERT it; JUmsoH, BRENNANB. WEST.- 

